alpaca

/æl'pækə/

Thân thiện

A young alpaca grazes on grass in a sunny mountain meadow.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A domesticated South American mammal: The alpaca is a domesticated species of camelid, closely related to the llama, vicuña, and guanaco. It is primarily bred for its soft, luxurious fleece.
   • The wool or fleece from this animal: This refers to the fiber sheared from the alpaca, known for being soft, warm, lightweight, and hypoallergenic.
   • A fabric made from this wool: This is a type of textile or cloth manufactured using alpaca fiber, often noted for its silky sheen and warmth.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Animal):
  • The alpaca is smaller and has finer fleece than the llama.
  • We saw a herd of alpacas grazing in the Andes mountains.
• Noun (Wool/Fiber):
  • This sweater is made from 100% baby alpaca, so it's incredibly soft.
  • Alpaca is a popular choice for high-quality yarn.
• Noun (Fabric):
  • Her coat was made of a beautiful, warm alpaca.
  • The designer specializes in garments using luxurious alpaca.

Advanced Usage

• "Alpaca fleece/wool": Specifies the fiber material.
  • Alpaca wool is often compared to cashmere for its softness.
• "Suri alpaca" vs. "Huacaya alpaca": Refers to the two main breeds, distinguished by their fleece type. Suri alpacas have long, silky, dreadlock-like fibers, while Huacaya alpacas have a denser, crimped, and woolly fleece.
  • Huacaya alpacas are more common than Suri alpacas.

Variants and Related Words

• Alpaca can function as a noun modifier (attributive noun).
  • An alpaca farm. An alpaca sweater.
• Llama (n): A larger, related camelid, often used as a pack animal.
• Vicuña (n): A wild, protected camelid with very fine and expensive fleece.
• Guanaco (n): The wild ancestor of the llama.

Synonyms

• For the animal: (None are perfect synonyms, but related animals include) llama, camelid.
• For the wool/fabric: (Descriptive terms) luxury fiber, specialty wool.

Related Phrases

• Alpaca blend: A fabric or yarn that mixes alpaca fiber with other materials like wool or acrylic.
  • This scarf is an alpaca blend, so it's warm but more affordable.

Học thuật

Noun

1. domesticated llama with long silky fleece; believed to be a domesticated variety of the guanaco
2. a thin glossy fabric made of the wool of the Lama pacos, or made of a rayon or cotton imitation of that wool
3. wool of the alpaca

Từ đồng nghĩa

• lama pacos